[ericr]

Broke the news to my wife this evening...




... I am falling in love with Tia (Fourte).

Seriously in love.


My A12 are going to be really pissed when they figure out what's going on!

 

[tim0chan]

Been away from head-fi and audio for a bit. Noticed a new module from Asius, the O1? Anyone have any experience with them they could share? If they keep or do away with the benefits of ADEL is what I'm mainly concerned with. Currently have the G1 in my U8.

Also, the new site seems to have cleared my reading progress from where I left off on all my subbed threads.

01 is more for the empire ears line as their tuning did not take into account the effects of tge adel modules. The modules essentially turn them into a non-adel iem, tajing away thw benefits of adel. With the 64 stuff, it just sounds weird bcos the tuning was done with the modules.
Tldr: dont get them for your A8s

 

[seamon]

Been away from head-fi and audio for a bit. Noticed a new module from Asius, the O1? Anyone have any experience with them they could share? If they keep or do away with the benefits of ADEL is what I'm mainly concerned with. Currently have the G1 in my U8.

Also, the new site seems to have cleared my reading progress from where I left off on all my subbed threads.

O1 sounds very bad with the A12. Waaaaaaay too warm and closed(should be obvious). Tonality just sounds wrong. The feeling is similar to fire burning in your ear.

 

[ezekiel77]

Just a quick note to say the A12 pairs well with the Sony WM1A. As you know the A12 is a pain to match sources with due to impedance mismatch.

Paired with a low impedance source less than 1 ohm it sounds dark and bassy, but for me if mismatched I'll hear a very tizzy treble and metallic-sounding mids as well. I sold the Mojo partly bcos of this mismatch.

A small recap of the DAPs I've tried the A12 with.
Good matches:
-QP1R
-Sony WM1A
-Sony ZX2
-AK100ii
-Onkyo DP-X1

Bad matches:
-Mojo
-FiiO X3
-Shanling M1

EDIT: Make sure to fully burn in the Sony prior to serious listening. The A12 and WM1A sounded awful at first.

 

[kevinhonda]

Hi there,

I am a first time poster and non-audiophile, but I was wondering if you guys could help.

I just received A18 which is my first custom IEM ever. I used Shure SE846 before A18.

I think A18 sounds great, but the problem? is that when I force A18 further in my ear canal, or tilt A18 forward (towards front of my face), the highs, such as hi-hat,
significantly get clearer and louder, and I think the sound stage gets slightly larger. I feel there is slight loss of bass when I do this.

Do you think this is fit issue?

I think the overall as is fit is okay, but I am starting to think that this issue is caused either by nozzle being too short or by sound not hitting my ear perpendicular / direct.

Please note that I can replicate the same thing with SE846.

I would appreciate if you experts can help me.

 

[artpiggo]

Hi there,

I am a first time poster and non-audiophile, but I was wondering if you guys could help.

I just received A18 which is my first custom IEM ever. I used Shure SE846 before A18.

I think A18 sounds great, but the problem? is that when I force A18 further in my ear canal, or tilt A18 forward (towards front of my face), the highs, such as hi-hat,
significantly get clearer and louder, and I think the sound stage gets slightly larger. I feel there is slight loss of bass when I do this.

Do you think this is fit issue?

I think the overall as is fit is okay, but I am starting to think that this issue is caused either by nozzle being too short or by sound not hitting my ear perpendicular / direct.

Please note that I can replicate the same thing with SE846.

I would appreciate if you experts can help me.

If this is your first ciem, please be patient on fitting. It is same when you buy new shoes, you will suffer from edging some but just wear ciem continuously, you will find the sweet and natural spot in your ear. At least try 2 weeks if it is not better, then you can contact dealer for refit program.

 

[PinkyPowers]

Hi there,

I am a first time poster and non-audiophile, but I was wondering if you guys could help.

I just received A18 which is my first custom IEM ever. I used Shure SE846 before A18.

I think A18 sounds great, but the problem? is that when I force A18 further in my ear canal, or tilt A18 forward (towards front of my face), the highs, such as hi-hat,
significantly get clearer and louder, and I think the sound stage gets slightly larger. I feel there is slight loss of bass when I do this.

Do you think this is fit issue?

I think the overall as is fit is okay, but I am starting to think that this issue is caused either by nozzle being too short or by sound not hitting my ear perpendicular / direct.

Please note that I can replicate the same thing with SE846.

I would appreciate if you experts can help me.

If the bass lessens when you do that then you are breaking the seal and you are not hearing the A18 as they are meant to be heard.

 

[kevinhonda]

Thank you for your replies.

Please let me rephrase. I just feel that there is very slight loss of bass, only because I hear other sounds so much louder.
I am pretty sure that there is no actual loss in bass, and the seal is not broken.

 

[Ike1985]

Thank you for your replies.

Please let me rephrase. I just feel that there is very slight loss of bass, only because I hear other sounds so much louder.
I am pretty sure that there is no actual loss in bass, and the seal is not broken.

I would agree with what the others have said, give it time. When you push in you may be breaking the seal and thus as PinkyPowers said you hear less bass. I can do the same thing with mine and I have a perfect fit. I don't know what you are coming from but the A18's aren't bass heavy IEMs, they have sub bass that goes deep with regard to tone, they can punch as well but they aren't bass heavy they are more of an audiophile signature with a dash of the 64 house sound warmth.

From what I understand of soundstage it may very well appear larger when you press in since some of the soundstage effect is created by the length of the canal portion of the CIEM also seal.

Give it time, unless you're fit is seriously uncomfortable (discomfort is normal if it's your first CIEM, until your body gets used to it) and the left and right sound NOTICEABLY different (try panning) then you are likely fine.

 

[noplsestar]

Hi there,

I am a first time poster and non-audiophile, but I was wondering if you guys could help.

I just received A18 which is my first custom IEM ever. I used Shure SE846 before A18.

You own the $ 3k A18 and now you tell us you are a non-audiophile person? No no no, you are one of us! I heartily welcome you to Head-Fi and wish you all the luck with your new CIEM!

 

[twister6]

@kevinhonda : I probably should be the last person talking about CIEMs, since my ears just don't gel with them, thus a reason majority of IEMs I have reviewed are universal. But never the less, as others pointed out, you need some time to get used to the fit. Don't force or push anything in. Once they are inserted into your ear, tug on your earlobes, it will correct the seal to be more natural.

Also, there is a degree of sound change as you push, twist, etc., all related to a seal. The same way how you can "adjust" the sound with universal IEMs by tip rolling, going from a large eartip that will seal your earcanal to a smaller one that will relax the seal. With CIEMs, you are relying on a natural seal since the shell is made from your ear impressions. As long as it feels comfortable, just accept the sound as is, without trying to correct it by pushing or twisting anything to change it

 

[twister6]

You own the $ 3k A18 and now you tell us you are a non-audiophile person? No no no, you are one of us! I heartily welcome you to Head-Fi and wish you all the luck with your new CIEM!

I think he definitely got the "Welcome to Head-fi" memo and accepted the part with "sorry about your wallet"

 

[Toolman]

I probably should be the last person talking about CIEMs, since my ears just don't gel with them, thus a reason majority of IEMs I have reviewed are universal

Ha I thought I was the rare, weird one who felt discomfort with every ciem that I ever had, hence I can only play with universal fit monitor. My ears will scream in pain after 15mins with one of these. Glad to see that I'm not a clan of one anymore LoL

 

[Ike1985]

Ha I thought I was the rare, weird one who felt discomfort with every ciem that I ever had, hence I can only play with universal fit monitor. My ears will scream in pain after 15mins with one of these. Glad to see that I'm not a clan of one anymore LoL

Sounds like you've had a long string of bad fits/impressions. I have no doubt that with an excellent fit you would be fine.

 

[Toolman]

Sounds like you've had a long string of bad fits/impressions. I have no doubt that with an excellent fit you would be fine.

Perhaps you're right...but from 3 different source?

I have (probably wrongly) concluded that it is my sensitive ears that couldn't stand such tight fitting monitor being stucked inside my ears over a long (30~60mins). Guessed I might never find out as I've reshelled all my ciem into universal and probably not gonna go through that process again.